Wednesday, September 30, 2015

To mark the occasion I share the following poem by Rumi as interpreted by Coleman Barks.

The breeze at dawn
has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what
you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth
across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.

A statement released earlier today by DignityUSA is one of the most succinct responses yet to news of the secret September 25 meeting between Pope Francis and Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who briefly went to jail for refusing to issue civil marriage licenses to same-sex couples and thus attempting to force her religious beliefs onto others.

Following is DignityUSA's media release in its entirety.

DignityUSA, the leading organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Catholics, responded to the Vatican’s confirmation that Pope Francis had met with Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis with dismay.

“The news that Pope Francis met with Kim Davis while failing to respond to repeated requests for dialogue with LGBT Catholics and their families will be deeply disappointing to many Catholics, gay, trans, and straight alike,” said DignityUSA Executive Director Marianne Duddy-Burke. “It may be seen as putting the weight of the Vatican behind the U.S. Catholic bishops’ claims of victimization, and to support those who want to make it more difficult for same-sex couples to exercise their civil right to marriage. This encounter could, in many people’s minds, transform the Pope’s US trip from a largely successful pastoral visit to the endorsement of an exclusionary political agenda.

“I fear that this meeting and claims that the Pope told Ms. Davis to ‘stand strong’ will embolden the many US bishops and others who continue to try to turn back support for LGBT people. It will make even more of us feel like the Pope’s message of mercy and love was not meant for LGBT people and families. It points again to the deep divide between Catholics who affirm and support their LGBT family members and friends, and the hierarchy, which is tragically out of touch,” continued Duddy-Burke.

"It would be helpful for the Vatican to be more forthcoming about the circumstances that led to this meeting, and what the Pope hoped to convey in his discussions with Ms. Davis,” said Duddy-Burke.

In July 2015, DignityUSA, GLAAD and over 30 endorsing organizations sent a letter to Pope Francis, urging him to meet with LGBT Catholics and their families during his U.S. visit. The letter cited the “enormous pastoral crisis” with regard to LGBT people and the grave damage being done to LGBT youth as compelling reasons for this dialogue. The letter was followed by several petitions urging that such a meeting take place. No response was received from the Vatican.

“We still believe that for the Pope to hear the stories of LGBT Catholics and our families would be a key step in reversing the official Church teachings that damage so many people,” said Duddy-Burke. “In fact, his meeting with Ms. Davis makes this even more urgent. We have people in Rome right now, on the eve of the Synod of the Family reconvening, who would be happy to talk with the Pope if he’s willing to take a small step towards righting this injustice.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Saint Michael the Archangel, usually depicted with a sword and/or standing over a dragon he has conquered, is one of the archangels of Christianity. Michael is often thought of as a spiritual warrior who leads the hosts of heaven and protects the soul at the hour of death. Saint Michael the Archangel is fêted on September 29.

In the work of Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, Michael becomes an icon of homoerotic love. In "San Miguel (Granada)," Lorca depicts the archangel as a beautiful young man "fragrante de agua colonia" ("fragrant with cologne"). In the Yoruba-diasporic religion of Candomblé, Michael is associated with Logunedé [left], an androgynous deity.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

I been loving all of what Pope Francis has been saying regarding poverty, war, climate and classism. However, he has yet to get around to the Doctrine of Discovery, and I doubt whether he has yet dedicated himself to either the background, the ongoing harm the Doctrine has caused, or the contemporary ramifications and future of unfairness, cruelty, the whole colonial holocaust upon indigenous people living in a modern world.

I have hope that he will do so, and applaud him for paving the way for a more just and peaceful world while he gets around to us. Stay calm and de-colonize, Friends.

In my own experience, I am aware of many loving, wonderful and highly educated people who have never learned about the Doctrine of Discovery. When they do learn about this green light for colonial horror against indigenous lands and people, most finally understand at last [and] are shocked and eager to get it gone, and to address solutions for reparations. Don't give up hope.

How extraordinary it would've been to also hear married gay Catholics tell their stories and for sincere, honest and mutually respectful discussions to have proceeded from them.

What an eye-opener it would've been for straight Catholics who don't know any LGBT Catholics to actually speak with them, from the heart. To get – maybe for the first time - that LGBT Catholics are more than their sexual orientation just as straight Catholics are more than their own.

They, too, are husbands, wives and parents who pray and yearn for a better world for themselves and their families. Who try to discern God's will and handle life's hardships with grace. Who are flawed but trying, broken but worthy of full inclusion in the faith that sustains them.

. . . After Belgau's talk, attendees lined up at two microphones to ask questions, at least one of which broke my heart: A woman wondered how she should respond to a beloved niece, a lesbian who has announced her engagement. As a Catholic, the woman didn't know if she should attend the wedding.

[Belgau] advised the woman to respond with love and, maybe, consult with her priest. I'm sorry: If you have to ask a priest whether to attend the wedding of a niece you say you love, you don't deserve to be there.

I was saddened to hear last night of the death of John McNeill, a scholar and activist who, in his tireless proclamation of God's unconditional love for LBGT people, inspired and empowered countless lives. He was without doubt a prophet of his time, one who challenged the Roman Catholic hierarchy and cultural homophobia through his steadfast affirmation and celebration of the goodness of the human body, relationships and sexuality.

Following is a statement released by DignityUSA about the life and legacy of John McNeill.

DignityUSA mourns the passing of John J. McNeill, a seminal figure in the history of the 46-year-old organization of LGBT Catholics and allies, as well as the broader LGBT civil rights movement. McNeill died on the evening of September 22 at the age of 90 in hospice care in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the presence of his devoted spouse and partner of 49 years, Charles Chiarelli.

A former Jesuit priest with a doctorate in philosophy from Louvain University in Belgium, McNeill helped inspire the founding of Dignity with articles in theological journals in the 1960s that for the first time challenged Catholic Church teaching on homosexuality from an authoritative theological and scholarly perspective. In 1972, he convened the meeting that led to the founding of Dignity’s New York City chapter. His groundbreaking, bestselling 1976 book, The Church and the Homosexual, was an international sensation that landed McNeill on the Today show and sparked widespread debate. Subsequent books, including Taking a Chance on God and Freedom, Glorious Freedom, extended McNeill’s discussion more deeply into the pastoral and personal realms of LGBT Catholic and Christian experience.

In 1987, McNeill was expelled from the Jesuits after nearly four decades for refusing to be silenced by the Vatican on LGBT issues. The same year, he was Grand Marshal of New York City’s LGBT Pride March. Until recent years, he pursued a multi-faceted vocation as a psychotherapist, spiritual director, retreat leader, and author, with a constant focus on the needs of the LGBT community. In addition, along with Fr. Mychal Judge, he founded The Upper Room AIDS Ministry, an outreach for homeless persons with AIDS in Harlem. Through these activities, he offered hope and healing — at times literally life-saving — to countless people around the globe.

Born and raised in Buffalo, McNeill entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and became a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany — an experience that for him was profoundly spiritual and led him to enter the Jesuits in 1948. Ordained in 1959, he taught philosophy and theology at Fordham University, Union Theological Seminary, and Le Moyne College, where he was a noted peace advocate during the Vietnam War.

A powerful presence at nearly every Dignity convention and in many Dignity communities until recent years, McNeill was presented with DignityUSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. In 2011, he traveled to Rome, where, along with European LGBT leaders, he delivered a letter to then-Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican. The letter asked for dialogue and urged Church leadership to speak out against the violence, injustice, and discrimination experienced by LGBT people around the world. In 2012, McNeill was the subject of Taking a Chance on God, a documentary film produced and directed by Dignity member Brendan Fay that highlights his role as priest, gay man, activist, author, spouse, and pioneer of the international LGBT civil rights movement.

DignityUSA also shares the following compilation of testimonials.

John was really the first major prophet of the Catholic LGBT movement. Every DignityUSA president has consulted him for insights into the emerging issues of the Catholic LGBT community. His groundbreaking bravery in daring to question official Church doctrine was truly liberating to so many people. The Church and the Homosexual was really the ‘coming-out’ Bible for LGBT Catholics. And Freedom, Glorious Freedom was incredibly important in helping to shape an empowered Catholicism not just for LGBT people, but for all. We offer our deepest condolences to Charlie [pictured with John above right in 2012] and commend him for his faithful companionship and care-giving to John over so many years.

– Marianne Duddy-BurkeDignityUSA Executive Director

I first became aware of John McNeill at the 1985 DignityUSA Convention. He spoke to us about his book and challenged us by his mere presence to join him in asserting with sincerity and courage, that God loved us in our identity and our sexuality and that we could remain faithful and whole in the presence of our God. A prophet, perhaps ahead of his time, whose message liberated many of us; a man of courage who, following his conscience, spoke truth to power and showed us how to do the same. He will be missed on earth, welcomed with the saints in heaven, leaving with us the message that living rooted in the Gospel is the only way to be whole and holy. May God help us make his legacy a reality in our work and in our lives.

– Lourdes Rodriguez-NoguesDignityUSA President

When [I was] asked to step up to leadership, I was not an easy sell. The state of the organization had been quite stressful during my previous five years on the board. I was between jobs and feeling quite stressed myself. The needs seemed too great and I felt too weak. John called me to talk. He told me he believed I had the gifts required at the moment. He countered my instinctive Catholic rush to take it all along with a reminder that it was not my job to "save" Dignity. John said, "Just bring your gifts to the table and trust the Spirit will provide the rest. She has seen us through many trials. If we are meant to survive we will. But that is to be determined by forces bigger than any of us." I immediately felt the perceived "burden" lift. He reframed it for me. I was able to say yes. John was right – the Spirit has provided for our needs in abundance. John got us past a major sticking point with the wisdom he has shared with me then – as he has in countless ways thru our journey to the Promised Land.

– Mark MatsonFormer DignityUSA President

My recollections of John go back to 1973 in Hollywood. His contributions to the equality and justice of the LGBT community are legendary. We all owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.

– Pat McArronFormer DignityUSA President

John McNeill was a giant in the LGBT Catholic movement. He taught us all to take risks and trust in the Holy Spirit. In one of his later gatherings, he believed the Holy Spirit was always at work. He looked forward to the day the church officials would recognize the gifts of LGBT people and women.

– Lewis Speaks-TannerIncoming DignityUSA President
and member of Dignity/New York

John McNeill was a dear friend and colleague. He was a true pioneer in whose footsteps so many of us followed. I learned so much from his research and writing, but I learned even more from personal interactions with him, by witnessing the passion and human concern he had for every LGBT person he encountered.

– Jeannine GramickCo-Founder, New Ways Ministry

John McNeill was a good friend of New Ways Ministry for many years. He had a rare mixture of both a great heart and a great mind. His “academic” theological work was informed not only by philosophical principles and logic, but by awareness of deep and real human needs. It is not an overstatement to say that any of the pastoral, political, theological, and practical advances that LGBT Catholics have made in recent years could only have been brought about because of John’s ground-breaking work.

– Francis DeBernardoExecutive Director, New Ways Ministry

In remembrance of John and his pioneering work, his family has established The John J. McNeill Legacy Fund to provide support for the preservation and dissemination of his writings, lectures and teachings. An immediate goal of this fund will be the digitization of his correspondence, audio/visual recordings and other archival works so that they will be available for scholarly research as well as to continue the work to which he devoted his life of inspiring and empowering the worldwide gay and lesbian community.

Being "straight-acting," for a gay man at least, is directly related to how convincingly he is able to present traditionally masculine mannerisms. The term is so markedly offensive because its very existence insists that there is a particular, instantly identifiable manner of being gay (defined by effeminacy). And what's more, those qualities are seen as patently unattractive, undesirable and wildly dangerous.

Conversely, it then follows that there simultaneously exists a particular, instantly recognizable manner of being straight (defined by "masculinity"). And what's more, those qualities are seen as incredibly attractive, desirable and wholly advantageous – enough so that gay people would try to "act" in that way.

And there is a long history of straights attempting to straight-ify queer people (and of us trying to do it to ourselves). The performance of straightness is something that gay men have struggled with and against for as long as modern gay identities have existed. Because being gay has been so intimately connected with being effeminate, which was – and still is – equated with being submissive, weak and ineffectual. Gay men have been shamed (and attacked and murdered) for any display that does not reverberate with and reflect what our culture has determined is sufficiently masculine.

. . . It's time we stop using "straight-acting" as some kind of dreamy, aspirational bridge-building tactic or lure. There are all kinds of different ways to be gay and straight (and everything in between or outside of that binary). And while we're at it, how about we just stop trying to act like straight people all together and start acting like exactly who we are? And let's get some sissies up on the big screen. And let's get some more trans people in the spotlight. And let's remember that our community is not comprised of only gay white cis men. Let's tell our stories to each other and anyone else who will listen. . . . [And] we'll just keep telling our stories over and over again until we all know them by heart and they're so loud and powerful and yes, of course, awful and painful and tragic in parts, but finally so beautiful and true that when we're finally heard – and we will be heard – they'll know exactly who we are, what we have been through and why it matters.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Pope Francis arrived in Washington, D.C. yesterday for his first visit to the United States.

Much has been written in the lead-up to this historic visit and I'm sure much more will be written in the days to come. My own thoughts on the pope's visit aren't that profound, in large part because I have no real enthusiasm for the whole feudal monarchical papal system – a system of authority and governance totally at odds with the model of leadership embodied by Jesus. Quite frankly, I'd rather expend time and energy on evolving the Catholic community beyond both papalism and its "diseased system" of clericalism.

The purpose of this post, however, isn't to belabor this point. After all, a whole Wild Reed series, "Progressive Perspectives on the Papacy" is devoted to exploring the pitfalls of and alternatives to papalism. Rather, I share today some perspectives (along with a number of relevant links) that I find both interesting and helpful in the midst of the media hoopla surrounding the Bishop of Rome's U.S. visit.

A glimmer of hope

I start with the perspective of E.J. Dionne Jr., shared in his recent Washington Post op-ed. I appreciate how Dionne reminds us of how in a number of significant ways, Francis is more radical than many "liberals." It's important to note that the word "radical" is being used here in its deepest and truest sense. All too often "radical" is erroneously equated with extremism of one kind or another. Yet that’s not what it means. It actually means to go to the root, to recognize and address the underlying essence of a given reality, along with the deep-seated issues, questions and/or problems associated with it. Pope Francis does this with regards to economic and environmental issues. He is yet to do it, however, with regards to issues of gender and sexuality. This discrepancy is problematic for many people, and stems from the fact that the Vatican employs two conflicting worldviews when dealing with different areas of human inquiry and experience.

Yet Dionne finds hope in many of the pope's actions, which he argues speak louder than his words, words often reflective of and thus limited by the impoverished and dysfunctional doctrines of the "official" church. By and large, the pope's actions tend to favor human experience over doctrine, a favoring which in turn has, says Dionne, "radically reordered the priorities of the church." At the core of this development is the pope's focus on human encounter and experience, and in this I see an ever-so-slight glimmer of hope for gay people and their loved ones. One reason it's a slight glimmer is because of the ongoing treatment of women in the church. They continue to be left out of the pope's "revolution" of encounter. It's a scandalous and demoralizing situation that doesn't bode well for LGBT people.

Despite this (or perhaps because he's unmindful of it), Dionne writes that: "It’s hard to see how progressives don’t come out ahead [with Francis]. He is not fighting culture wars. He is fighting against them. This, in part, is what accounts for his broad popularity among former Catholics, Americans of other faiths and even secularists and atheists."

Continues Dionne:

But seeing Francis only as a player in our political fights is misleading. To begin with, he is — both spiritually and politically — far more radical than most Americans, including most liberals.

While he has been quite specific on some political questions (the climate and immigration especially), what characterizes his mission is an effort to turn our notions of who counts and who has the strongest claim on our attention upside down.

. . . In a moving New York Times piece about one of the pope’s planned stops in New York, columnist Jim Dwyer described the invitation list: “carwashers . . . Hudson Valley farmworkers, day-laborers, immigrant mothers, and teenagers and children who have crossed the border without their parents.” In Philadelphia, Francis will visit the city’s largest jail. In Washington, he will bless the needy who get help from Catholic Charities. His ministry will be right out of what the Catholic Mass says of Jesus: “To the poor he proclaimed the good news of salvation, to prisoners freedom, and to those in sorrow joy.”

Francis will be calling everyone (liberals no less than others) out of complacency.

A gay Catholic invitation

The second perspective I share today is that of Jeff Vomund (left), a member of Dignity/Washington. Vomund has an incredibly well-written and inspiring commentary in the September 20, 2015 issue of The Washington Post. To date, it's the best "gay Catholic" commentary I've read in relation to the pope's visit to the U.S..

In its recognition and understanding of the lived experiences of gay people, Vomund's perspective stands in stark contrast to that of Ron Belgau, the only gay person officially sanctioned to appear (along with his mother) at the upcoming World Meeting of Families. Belgau, a self-described celibate gay man, sees "chaste and holy intimacy as a model for Christ-centered spiritual friendship" between gay people. Echoing the stance of the Vatican, Belgau maintains that it is type of friendship that is "corrupted" by "homosexual activity," which is a reductive and demeaning term for the rich and complex reality of sexual encounters and/or relationships between people of the same gender. In contrast to Belgau's limited perspective, Vomund's words reflect what I and many other Catholics consider to be a wise, spacious, and holy understanding of homosexuality.

Pope Francis, welcome to Washington! Like the rest of the Catholic world and people of good faith everywhere, we have felt challenged to find God in all people by your focus on the poor and the outcast. We watched you wash the feet of women and non-Christians and were inspired to be more inclusive. We read your words on the moral imperatives caused by our climate crisis and were challenged to change our relationship to the Earth. But never have we been more energized by your words than when, on the first foreign trip of your papacy, you said this to a reporter who asked you about gay priests: “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has goodwill, who am I to judge?”

As an organization that provides a spiritual home to LGBTQ Catholics, Dignity/Washington works for respect and justice for people of all sexual orientations, genders and gender identities in the Catholic Church. We know what it’s like to feel judged. For being honest about our sexuality. For wanting to live happy and open lives with families and friends. And, indeed, for wanting to be who we are — LGBTQ and Roman Catholic.

We also love our church. We love gathering as a community around the altar for the Eucharist. We love the scriptures and the liturgy and the faith tradition that has shaped our lives. Although we as an organization have been exiled from Catholic buildings and rejected by Catholic leaders because we want to live our sexuality openly and without apology, we are still Catholic, and we still look to you for leadership.

That is why we are so grateful for your upcoming presence in our city. We await your arrival with hope and expectation. And we invite you, Holy Father, in the words of Jesus to his first disciples, to “come and see.”

So often when the church has made pronouncements about homosexuality and the LGBTQ community, it has done so from a distance. Despite the high percentage of gay clergy in the Catholic Church — or perhaps because of it — Vatican and hierarchical statements about homosexuality and LGBTQ people have felt like an intellectual exercise in natural law and interpretations of scriptural text, not statements that speak to the great commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. “Intrinsically disordered,” as the church refers to homosexual acts, may be a legitimate philosophical category, but it is not a label to put on brothers and sisters.

We are, like you and all church leaders, human beings who fall in love, have to learn how to forgive and want to grow old surrounded by friends and family. It is not the church’s judgment about us that has hurt so much, but rather our being judged without being known. For if church leaders knew us, they would also know the love that surrounds us. They would know couples who have cared for each other in sickness and in health — indeed not parting until death. They would see the power of understanding, especially the understanding of parents and children, as we have struggled with our families to make sense of who we are. They would know the joy and laughter that come from friendship and the powerful bond that comes, at times, from feeling outcast together. For any who know us would know that what church teaching has labeled “disordered” is actually a gift that gives order to our love and to our lives. From the distance of philosophical theology, that might seem impossible. But up close I promise one cannot fail to see it.

And so, we invite you, Holy Father, as well as Cardinal Donald Wuerl, our own archbishop, and all of the bishops and priests in whose dioceses and parishes we live, to “come and see.” Get to know the strength of love that survives despite ridicule and cultural rejection. Experience firsthand couples who have been together for decades praying and seeking to do God’s will. See us in our need for forgiveness, but also in the sharing of our gifts. We are confident that, like those who experienced Jesus firsthand, you would recognize as did the apostle John in his first Letter, “Everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.”

We might disagree about the definition of a civil or a sacramental marriage. We might not see eye to eye on the purpose of sexual activity in a same-sex relationship. But we can begin by simply getting to know the love that God has for each of us. We could share that love with you, and you with us — or any other church leader who would be willing to “come and see.” We believe that once you got to see and know our love, it would no longer make sense to call it “disordered” or to fire people who work for and serve the church while sharing that love. We believe that once you came to share in our love for one another, labeling it as a “cross” we had to bear, or treating it as less deserving of government protection, would make no more sense to you than it does to us.

Holy Father, “come and see” for yourself how God is made flesh in our liturgies and in our loves, as in any other Catholic community, and you will not have to ask: “Who am I to judge?” Because, again echoing John, you will speak of “what we have seen with our eyes . . . and touched with our hands” and proclaim “the eternal life . . . that was . . . made visible to us” so that we might “have fellowship” together and “our joy may be complete.”

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Tomorrow is the autumnal equinox, an astronomical event that marks the end of summer here in the northern hemisphere. A good time, then, to conclude my two-part series, "Out and About – Summer 2015! (For Part 1, click here.)

I begin this second installment with two images from the vigil against weaponized drones that I participated in last weekend at Camp Ripley, MN. In the image above I'm pictured with my friend Sue Ann. For more images and information about both tes issue of weaponized drones and this particular event, click here.

Above: On Thursday, September 3, I was part of a three-person delegation from the Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) that met with Interim Archbishop Bernard Hebda at the chancery of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis. (It was actually the archbishop's birthday that day, and he's pictured holding the gift we brought him.)

Yes, it's quite astounding how far we've come! After all, it wasn't that long ago when CCCR was denounced by the former archbishop, John Nienstedt (see here and here.) And now here we are being welcomed at the chancery! In the past, I've always been there in a very different capacity (see, for example, here and here.)

I'll share my thoughts about our September 3 meeting in a later post. For now, here is how the meeting was described by CCCR to the group's Lay Network.

Thanks for all the prayers and encouragement for CCCR's meeting with Archbishop Bernard Hebda. Michael Bayly, Art Stoeberl, and Paula Ruddy, CCCR Board members, met with him on Thursday afternoon, September 3.

The good news is that he and the Archdiocesan staff have already begun planning for eight listening sessions throughout the archdiocese during September and October. They will focus on the needs for leadership in the archdiocese and the qualities of leadership the people perceive to be necessary here. In addition to listening sessions, they are planning other methods of communication too, written opinions, electronic surveys, etc. This is the kind of communication process we were hoping for, and we are grateful to the Archbishop and his staff.

Archbishop Hebda was welcoming, friendly and down to business. He is open to input from us and took notes on the suggestions we made for venues.

Now our job is to participate in this process and to urge everyone we know to come with us. We can't be apathetic now. If we hope to get the kind of leadership we say we want, we must turn out in numbers and speak up. Do we hear an Amen?

We will let you know when and where as soon as we have that information.

Commenting on the meeting, Archbishop Hebda told the National Catholic Reporter:

I was pleased to meet with three members of the CCCR and was delighted to learn that they share my interest in engaging in a wide consultation of the faithful in assessing the needs of the archdiocese. I was also happy to share with them some of the preliminary plans for that consultation, and appreciated their input and offer of collaboration.

As I mentioned in Part 1, since the beginning of the year my good friend Pete and I have been meeting every Thursday morning for breakfast. We thought it would be fun to get a photograph of us at every new restaurant we visited. And it has been!

In the photo above we're in the lovely garden of Cafe Southside in Minneapolis – Thursday, August 27, 2015.

Left: At the Nicollet Diner, Minneapolis, September 3, 2015.

Right: At Our Kitchen Diner, Minneapolis, June 25, 2015.

Left: At the Blackbird Cafe, Minneapolis, July 30, 2015. I think it's fair to say that the Blackbird is our favorite breakfast place so far.

That's a copy of Winston Graham's The Loving Cup on the table. It's the tenth novel in Graham's Poldark series of historical fiction. I introduced Pete to these novels at the end of last year, and he's almost finished reading all twelve! He also enjoyed the recent Poldark BBC TV series, as did I! And good news! . . . The second season of Poldark is currently being filmed in Cornwall.

Above: On Thursday, September 17, my friends Tom and Darlene White invited me and a number of our mutual friends to dinner at their new home in St. Louis Park. Pictured from left: Darlene, me, Kathleen, Brigid, Paula and Tom.

Above: With friends George and Joan.

Above: Dinner at what I've come to call "the French Quarter," the welcoming St. Paul home of my friends John and Noelle. Pictured clockwise from left: John, Noelle, Brittany, Phil, Curtis, Liana, and Amelia – August 23, 2015.

Left: With Eddie, the "wonder dog"!

Above: Ziggy!

Above: At the August 9, 2015 Dignity Twin Cities mass with friends Jim Smith and Fr. John Brandes. You may recall that John is the inspiration for the character of "Father Brandon" in my semi-autobiographical Wild Reed series, The Journal of James Curtis.

The sculpture at right is by Igor Mitoraj and entitled Eros. Notes the MIA website:

Eros, depicted bandaged and marred by cracks, points out the contradiction between the ideals of strength and beauty and the inherent fragility of the human condition. Life is precious because it is fleeting. And love causes both joy and heartache. The post-modern monumental scale of Eros also suggests the glories and failures of entire civilizations.

Above: A birthday brunch for my friend Brian – August 30, 2015. From left: Rick, Brian and me. We're at Pannekoeken in St. Louis Park!

Left: Out to dinner with friends Raul, Brittany and Phil . . . before going to see the film Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet at the Lagoon in Uptown, Minneapolis – September 3, 2015. We're at the Amazing Thailand restaurant in Uptown and I'm still dressed in my more formal attire from my visit earlier in the day with Archbishop Hebda!

The Prophet is a great film, and I definitely recommend it. Here's a little of what Variety's Peter Debruge has to say about it:

Think of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet as a gift: a work of essential spiritual enlightenment, elegantly interpreted by nine of the world’s leading independent animators, all tied up and wrapped in a family-friendly bow by The Lion King director Roger Allers. A longtime passion project for producer Salma Hayek (credited here as Salma Hayek-Pinault), Lebanese philosopher-poet Kahlil Gibran’s cherished guide to life, death, love, art and so forth doesn’t naturally lend itself to big screen interpretation, and at first, the pic’s framing device seems too silly for such soulful subject matter. But the freshly scripted wraparound doesn’t shy away from grown-up concerns, while potentially broadening the book’s reach to younger audiences as well.

And here's a snippet of The Salt Lake Tribune's Sean P. Means' review:

Gibran's messages of living simply and thankfully, of transcending national, ethnic and religious divides with kindness and honesty, retain their universal appeal in this rendition.

The Prophet, the movie, is an artful introduction to the uninitiated, and for Gibran's fans a beautiful reminder of the book's thoughtful approach to life.

Above: On Sunday, September 6, 2015, I joined with around 50 others in Minnehaha Park to show solidarity with the hundreds of thousands of people undertaking the dangerous journey to Europe from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn parts of the world.

For more images and information about both this issue and event, click here.

Above: My friend David took this photo. It shows 26-year-old Syrian American and University of Minnesota law student Suzan Boulad, who was the key organizer of the September 6 solidarity rally for the refugees of Syria and the world.

That's me in the background at far left. I'm usually so intent on taking photos at events like this that I often don't get in many of them!

For more images and information about both the issue of refugees and this particular rally, click here.

Above: On Saturday, September 19, 2015, I made a number of new friends when my friend Pete invited me to join him and his friends at a street party in downtown Minneapolis. From left: Peter, Bret, Tim, Jim, Chris, Sarah, Pete and Tim.

I established The Wild Reed in 2006 as a sign of solidarity with all who are dedicated to living lives of integrity – though, in particular, with gay people seeking to be true to both the gift of their sexuality and their Catholic faith. The Wild Reed's original by-line read, "Thoughts and reflections from a progressive, gay, Catholic perspective." As you can see, it reads differently now. This is because my journey has, in many ways, taken me beyond, or perhaps better still, deeper into the realities that the words "progressive," "gay," and "Catholic" seek to describe.

Even though reeds can symbolize frailty, they may also represent the strength found in flexibility. Popular wisdom says that the green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm. Tall green reeds are associated with water, fertility, abundance, wealth, and rebirth. The sound of a reed pipe is often considered the voice of a soul pining for God or a lost love.

On September 24, 2012,Michael BaylyofCatholics for Marriage Equality MNwas interviewed by Suzanne Linton of Our World Today about same-sex relationships and why Catholics can vote 'no' on the proposed Minnesota anti-marriage equality amendment.

Readers write . . .

"I believe your blog to be of utmost importance for all people regardless of their orientation. . . . Thank you for your blog and the care and dedication that you give in bringing the TRUTH to everyone."– William

"Michael, if there is ever a moment in your day or in your life when you feel low and despondent and wonder whether what you are doing is anything worthwhile, think of this: thanks to your writing on the internet, a young man miles away is now willing to embrace life completely and use his talents and passions unashamedly to celebrate God and his creation. Any success I face in the future and any lives I touch would have been made possible thanks to you and your honesty and wisdom."– AB

"Since I discovered your blog I have felt so much more encouraged and inspired knowing that I'm not the only gay guy in the Catholic Church trying to balance my Faith and my sexuality. Continue being a beacon of hope and a guide to the future within our Church!"– Phillip

"Your posts about Catholic issues are always informative and well researched, and I especially appreciate your photography and the personal posts about your own experience. I'm very glad I found your blog and that I've had the chance to get to know you."– Crystal

"Thank you for taking the time to create this fantastic blog. It is so inspiring!"– George

"I cannot claim to be an expert on Catholic blogs, but from what I've seen, The Wild Reed ranks among the very best."– Kevin

"Reading your blog leaves me with the consolation of knowing that the words Catholic, gay and progressive are not mutually exclusive.."– Patrick

"I grieve for the Roman institution’s betrayal of God’s invitation to change. I fear that somewhere in the midst of this denial is a great sin that rests on the shoulders of those who lead and those who passively follow. But knowing that there are voices, voices of the prophets out there gives me hope. Please keep up the good work."– Peter

"I ran across your blog the other day looking for something else. I stopped to look at it and then bookmarked it because you have written some excellent articles that I want to read. I find your writing to be insightful and interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more of it. Keep up the good work. We really, really need sane people with a voice these days."– Jane Gael